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Thread: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

  1. #1
    AndthePirates Guest

    Default H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    We purchased a Hancock & Moore leather chair in May 2008. It is the Austin Tilt Back 2232NB with Document Saddle Grade 2 Leather. The arms of the chair are showing significant wear and I thought this was furniture that was supposed to last a lifetime. We have no teenagers, no pets, no little children around. We are a retired 65 year old couple and we are very disappointed in how the chair looks after less than 6 years. So, a few questions:

    1) What should I have been doing to prevent this?
    2) What can I do now to make the chair look better and last? We also have the matching sofa and ottoman for the chair, so it was a rather significant investment.
    3) Would Hancock & Moore do anything about this? If so, what would be the best way to approach them? The purchase was made through Boyles in Greensboro, NC.

    I've attached some photos.
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    Another issue is that the seat has quite an indentation. Is there any way to minimize the indentation? My husband is by no means a heavy guy -- in fact he is very trim, yet the indent has formed.

    I'll appreciate any suggestions you have.

  2. #2
    earlh Guest

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    This is a joke. Just a joke.

    1.) Not use the chair.
    2.) Visit the Home Depot and purchase some brown spray paint.
    3.) No! With pistols drawn, locked, and loaded.

    Remember only a joke!

  3. #3
    earlh Guest

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    No, but really, I am sorry about your chair. I can't imagine what it would look like if your husband WAS a heavy guy. I would imagine even worse. Here is a link to a thread where another person had similar problems. I really do hope you get your chair fixed.

  4. #4
    Vegas Guest

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    Is your furniture exposed to the sun during the day? The sun will just ruin anything! My old Hancock & Moore sofa, chair, and ottoman lasted more than 14 years and the sofa showed signs of wear after about 12 years or so. The color was Antelope in the grade 4 finished leather. We sold all 3 pieces before recently buying new H&M. We now have Capri, Cameo Burnished, and Hand Painted Antique Sunset leathers and none of the pieces are exposed to the sun during any part of the day. I have a Henredon chair that wasn't so lucky and I wished I would have realized how destructive sun coming through a window can be to furniture whether its fabric or leather.

  5. #5
    Ci2Eye Guest

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    Quite disappointing. I know Document is a Chinese leather but my understanding was that it should not be expected to have the same luxurious feel and softness as more expensive options but that its life span should be comparable. Five years usage is likely too long ago to expect any help from the manufacturer yet it is entirely too soon for this to be expected. I would contact the selling dealer. Best of luck to you.
    Last edited by Ci2Eye; 02-16-2014 at 01:42 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    This is a classic case of topcoat deterioration from failure to keep the hide clean and conditioned. I can see how 'dry' the leather is in several of the photos. You are also getting some friction wear (remember that Document is a painted leather) and wearing away the paint. Chemicals in our bodies attack the surface when they are not cleaned off. There is no warranty on the hides and H&M will tell you what I have told you. This is fairly typical f you don't maintain the leather and use it frequently you will see this happen when the piece is 6 to 8 years old. Front this point on it will 'crack out' and the leather will separate in another 2 to 3 years and that will be the end of the chair. You can try to save the chair by having it re-coated by a leather furniture restoration service, basically they will re-paint the leather. though they cannot restore it that's about your only option at this point. If you are in North Carolina I can recommend Leather Magic, drop the chair off there and in a few days time they will have it looking pretty good.

    As for your seat cushion, if the inner core is showing a 'pocket', H&M will send you a new core free of charge provided you are the original owner. Boyle's went bankrupt a few years ago so you can't go back to them as your selling dealer - I'll be glad to order one for you as a courtesy, just PM me your name and address, the model number of the chair and a copy of your receipt if you have it.

    Here's my 28 year old H&M recliner in a painted leather (made in 1986) - though I can't recall the name of the leather series used on it. I clean and condition this every 6 months. See the difference that maintenance will make? It's also a good idea to wipe down the surface with a damp rag every few weeks between treatments as that removes damaging surface oils and dirt.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by drcollie; 02-17-2014 at 10:53 AM.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Dayton, OH
    Posts
    287

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    I think a photo comparison of each of these chairs would make an excellent "Maintenance" Flyer for any buyer of Leather furniture.

  8. #8
    AndthePirates Guest

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    Thanks for all the responses. I agree with wisejd -- if we had been given a "maintenance flyer" when we purchased the furniture, we wouldn't be in the situation we're in now. We were told the less we do the better and that it was basically indestructible. I dusted the furniture with a clean cloth regularly and could have easily done it with a damp cloth. And cleaning and conditioning twice a year would have been no big deal either.

    The chair has not been in the sun, but it is used every day -- we bought it to be my husband's comfortable chair.

    Also, we certainly didn't understand about painted leather. We never realized the color was such a thin layer on top.

    Duane, thanks for your response. A couple follow-up questions for you:

    1) What products should I be using for cleaning and conditioning? I use Guardsman for all my wood furniture. Should I be using their leather care products or would you recommend another brand? Clean and condition twice a year?

    2) We have another H & M piece in Madeira -- is that also painted leather? That chair is 11 years old and has shown no wear, but I'll start maintaining it immediately.

    3) Regarding restoring the damaged chair. . .we are in Southeast Michigan and will need to find a restoration company here. Is there a specific process or products I should be looking for as I try to find someone here to repair the chair?

    Many thanks for your help.

  9. #9
    earlh Guest

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    Uh, yeah, but I don't think it's a very fair comparison between Duane's 28 year old chair and the Pirates' 6 year old chair. The leather on Duane's chair, although also painted, is most likely far superior than the leather on the Pirates' chair. Why? Because in the 80s companies weren't money hungry to the point of outsourcing their own mothers. The leather on Duane's chair is almost certainly US made, quality leather; while the leather on the Pirates' chair is without question an inferior Chinese made product with cost being the only concern.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default Re: H & M Leather Chair Showing Wear -- What should I do?

    It's unfortunate the didn't tell you to maintain the leather, but that's the norm it seems from most stores, that's why this forum exists - to share information and educate. Don't use Guardsman leather cleaner, it reacts with certain topcoats on leather and can cause more harm than good. Leather Magic is the preferred leather cleaner/conditioner of Hancock & Moore.

    Yes, Madeira, is an economy leather used for promotional purposes and is painted / finished. As far as getting your existing piece taken care of, check with GOOGLE and look up LEATHER RESTORATION. Now, as a long shot - if you want you can return to H&M and ask Jimmy Moore to take a look at it. One of two things will then happen, he will either say 'that chair is shot, nothing I can do on that leather, it wasn't taken care of' OR Jimmy will just strip off the leather and put new on and may not charge you at all for it. I've seen it go both ways before, but you have to pay 2-way shipping no matter how it goes. Its the South where they make these and politeness goes a long ways in the Carolinas!

    As to my old 1986 Vintage chair, that was when The Keeping Room was first starting and I had no money at all. I bought the cheapest leather they offered on promotion in 1986, it was most certainly Chinese and not USA, and wasn't up to the standards of Document today. I just maintained the leather is all. A little education on leather - the EPA and OSHA effectively shut down all USA tanneries in 2008 when recovery process equipment because so costly (tanning leather uses lots of water, and very bad chemicals) that it was basically impractical for USA tanneries to operate. At one time, into the early 1900's the Boston area was the World Capital of leather tanning. Then they began to notice all their rivers in MA and RI were terribly polluted and a large part of that was from dumping tannery wastewater into the rivers. That was one of the beginnings of the environmental movement and its been a good thing to clean up our rivers and cut back on active toxins. China has no cattle industry, none. Those 'inferior Chinese hides' are what are known in the trade as 'crusts' which come from the USA after slaughter, are salted to preserve them then shipping to China for processing, then they come back to the USA as tanned leather. Truth be told the quality control from the tanneries used by H&M that originate from China is far better than the Italian leathers, which are all over the board in quality and consistency. The Chinese put out a consistent product that is a bit boring, but it doesn't vary much.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

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